Shloka 16
त्वष्टा पूषा तथैवेन्द्रो द्वादशो विष्णुरुच्यते । इत्येते द्वादशादित्या: कश्यपस्यात्मसम्भवा:,भग, अंश, अर्यमा, मित्र, वरुण, सविता, धाता, महाबली विवस्वान्, त्वष्टा, पूषा, इन्द्र और बारहवें विष्णु कहे गये हैं। ये बारह आदित्य हैं, जो कश्यप और अदितिके पुत्र हैं
tvaṣṭā pūṣā tathaivendro dvādaśo viṣṇur ucyate | ity ete dvādaśādityāḥ kaśyapasyātmasambhavāḥ |
Tvaṣṭṛ, Pūṣan, dan juga Indra termasuk di antara mereka, dan Viṣṇu disebut sebagai yang kedua belas. Demikianlah kedua belas Āditya ini—keturunan Kaśyapa.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that dharma and worldly stability mirror a cosmic order: distinct divine powers (the Ādityas) each uphold specific functions. By recognizing structured roles—nourishment, sovereignty, preservation, law, and creation—one understands that ethical life and good governance depend on harmonizing duties rather than acting arbitrarily.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma is explaining doctrinal and cosmological matters to clarify principles of order and duty. Here he enumerates the twelve Ādityas, identifying Viṣṇu as the twelfth, and situates them as descendants of Kaśyapa (and traditionally Aditi), reinforcing a genealogical and functional map of the divine.